


I'll protect you from harm, and you'll wake up in my arms

by creamcheesebagels



Category: Jurassic World Trilogy (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-06-30 20:49:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15759417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creamcheesebagels/pseuds/creamcheesebagels
Summary: 4 times Maisie fell asleep on her parents. This little baby needs more cuddles!





	I'll protect you from harm, and you'll wake up in my arms

1.

Owen sat against the couch, chomping on an apple while he supervised Maisie. She was sprawled on the floor with a piece of paper in front of her and an array of colour pencils that were spread out on the floor of Claire’s apartment. She had announced earlier that she was going to draw Blue and her sisters, and had asked Owen to assist her in outlining the shape of a velociraptor. Her new parents were relieved to find out that that her encounter with the Indoraptor didn’t manage to quench her curiosity for prehistoric creatures. Instead, it sparked a relationship between her and Gray, the two children thrilled to exchange knowledge, books and models of dinosaurs. 

Owen discarded the apple core and was careful not to drop any pieces of apple onto the floor. Claire had been reluctant to leave him in her apartment unsupervised, fearing that the moment she step foot that she would be greeted by the sight of a disheveled home. Unfortunately for her, she was desperately needed at the DPG, as Zia had put it, and after the umpteenth time that Owen had assured her that no, Claire, I don’t actually live in a dump, she left the nine-year-old and Owen on the couch napping. 

Owen’s thought was halted when Maisie asked him what colour Charlie was. He smiled, thinking of his girls and what life must be like in raptor heaven for his babies. “She was green, with dark green stripes. Y’know, green, kind of like Claire’s eyes?” Maisie nodded and picked up a pencil from the floor. 

“And Delta?” She looked at him with big brown eyes as she waited for an answer. “Delta is a darker green than Charlie.” He supplied, and heard the scratchy sound of lead in contact with paper. He rubbed his chin and added, “Echo is orange, with a little brown patches.” Maisie hummed as she finished up her drawing quickly and turned around to face Owen, the piece of paper held out proudly for inspection.

Maisie’s recreation of the raptors was carefully done, and Owen had to admit that she was pretty close despite not having seen three of them. He grinned when he realized that she didn’t need any assistance in drawing Blue. Maisie had included tiny details like the white stripe that ran along with the metallic blue and the little scar on Blue’s snout. “This looks awesome, Maisie! I’ll hang it up on the fridge.” He beamed at the child and she smiled sheepishly, before climbing into his lap. 

“Tell me more about the raptors.” Maisie asked sweetly. Owen knew that he was in no place to deny her anything. She (and Claire) had him wrapped around their fingers the first time he saw them and would automatically do anything as his girls pleased. He wrapped an arm around Maisie and begun. “You already know Blue… she was the leader of the pack and she loved to boss her sisters around.” Maisie giggled and snuggled closer to him. “Delta and Echo are almost inseparable. They’re best buddies and they love playing hide and seek.” He said pensively as he looked at the raptors on Maisie’s page. “Charlie..” he started, “Charlie is the little baby. She looks up to Blue and she loved belly rubs when she was younger.”

Maisie sat up and faced Owen, her eyebrows tight while she was deep in thought, then finally whispered “I think I would like Charlie.” Owen let out a chuckle and ran his fingers through her hair. “I think you would, kiddo. You’re almost just like her. Plus, you’re our baby.”

Maisie’s giggles ran through the apartment like the sound of delicate wind chimes. Owen was sure that he would never get tired of that pleasing sound to his ears. He just loved that the sound reminded him that Maisie was truly happy living with them and that she was starting to experience a real childhood, as opposed to being holed up in Lockwood Manor. 

“I like being your baby. Claire’s too.” She sighed contently, Owen’s embrace providing her with a feeling of safety and comfort. He ruffled her hair and kissed her forehead. “You know that Claire and I love you very much, right?” Maisie gave a little nod. She did. Claire and Owen had made the point of showering the girl in much needed affection and love, from pats on the back, to kisses on the cheek, to cuddles in bed. 

(And Maisie loved all of it)

“Can you tell me a story of the raptors please?” Maisie pleaded and yawned, snuggling deeper into Owen’s warm chest. He pondered for a moment, then decided to tell her the time he realized he was falling in love with Claire Dearing. 

Claire, the ever responsible Senior Assets Manager, would make her way to every paddock on a rotating schedule to observe trainers and inspect every corner of the paddock. She always came in high heels and her presence was made known by the clacking sound against the metallic catwalk. She was on her way to the raptor paddock today.

She looked stunning in that black business suit. The simplicity of her clothes brought out the vibrant colour of her hair. She looked so professional with that clipboard in her hands, checking off little boxes as she looked around at the paddock. Owen’s stomach fluttered.

“Like the butterflies?” Maisie interrupted.

He nodded.

He was training the raptors to listen to the command “stay”. He hoped they wouldn’t embarrass him, but it looked like it was unlikely that he could get them to listen to him. Delta had snapped at him earlier and Charlie didn’t seem to want to follow any of his instructions that day. He took a deep breath. 

“Okay girls, we are going to move this way,” he commanded, his hand held up high as he crossed the catwalk to the other side of the paddock. They followed his hand. “Now, stay.” They looked at him expectantly, then Blue moved a little, as if she wanted to nudge forward. “Hey, Blue! Stay!” She retreated her claw. Owen started to walk backwards and still the raptors stayed where they were. 

“Good!” He praised, then threw them each a treat. He turned around to see Claire looking at him with a smile. As soon as she realized that he saw her, she dropped her head then began to scribble frantically, hoping he wouldn’t bother her. 

Owen heard the door open and heels falling to the floor. He smirked and raised his voice, still mindful of the girl who laid asleep in his embrace.

She looked really cute. 

He closed the gap between them and handed her his reports and didn’t fail to catch the startled gasp that tumbled out of her mouth. “You’re early,” she stated, after a long pause. She tried to hide it but Owen could see the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. 

Owen shrugged. “I always try to, but maybe I like seeing you at the raptor paddock more often,” he quipped playfully, then turned around and left.

“And that’s when I knew I was falling in love with Claire.” He tilted his head to meet her lips with his, then leaned back to let her kiss Maisie’s forehead tenderly. “Hey Claire,” he started, “can you buy the same business suit? Your ass looked great in those paints.”

He earned a slap to the shoulder.

“I’m being honest here.” Owen pouted and Claire rolled her eyes. 

“You’re incorrigible, Grady.”

“And you love that.”

2.

Claire moved around her apartment absentmindedly, picking up Owen’s things that were scattered all over the floor. Ever since he had barged into her place after escaping Lockwood Manor, her pristine apartment had got out of whack. She wasn’t complaining though, the sight of NAVY sweatshirts on her bed and children’s novels stacked into her bookcase was a constant reminder that she was no longer living alone, but rather a blissful family life.

She was folding clean laundry when her phone rang, the incessant ring screaming for attention. Wedging the phone carefully between her ear and shoulder, she went back to folding Maisie’s t-shirts. 

“Hello Ms Dearing, this is the school office calling.”

Her hands stopped. 

What had happened? Was it a pteranodon that managed to swoop into a classroom through the window? Or was it a compy that smuggled itself into the crowd of children, causing ruckus within the walls of the school?

Her heart almost stopped. 

“Maisie isn’t feeling well, so we thought it would be best if you could pick her up and bring her to the doctor’s.” Claire almost let out a sigh of relief, grateful that nothing had touched her little girl except for a pesky cold. Instead, she felt guilty and angry at herself for not noticing the signs earlier that morning, which made her send the girl to school. The cinnamon toast that was politely declined. The ribbon that was missing in her hair. The way her shoulders slumped when she got onto the school bus. 

She promised to arrive in 15 minutes, already packing a bag. She threw in a thin blanket, a bottle of water and a plastic bag (in case Maisie got a little pukey) and stumbled out of her apartment. Just as she was about to lock the door, a glint from the table caught her eye. It was Maisie’s Rubik’s cube, her most prized possession since Owen had shown her the rotating cubes that gave off brilliant colours. She spent a great deal of time fiddling with the cube until she had solved the puzzle. 

Claire shoved the cube into her bag and called her friend Heidi, who was a paediatrician, to let her know that they would be stopping by.   
—  
As Claire speed-walked into the school, she caught sight of Maisie sitting next to the front desk and her heart ached a little. Maisie leaned her head on the smooth wood of the desk, her cheeks flushed and her mouth in a little pout. Claire kneeled in front of her, her hand going to Maisie’s forehead, frowning when she found it too warm and clammy for her liking. 

“How are you feeling, baby?” She asked and stroked the girl’s hair. Maisie let out a small moan of discomfort and shook her head. Her button nose was scrunched up that only relaxed when Claire pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Come on,” she chirped, tugging onto the girl’s hand, “we’re going to pay Heidi a visit. She’ll have you feel better in no time.” Maisie leaned heavily into Claire’s side and let her legs lead her to the car.   
—  
Heidi’s clinic was packed full with screaming babies and grumpy children. Maisie, thankfully, belonged to neither category. She was slumped against Claire and breathing heavily, signalling the necessary sleep needed to fight whatever bug that was wreaking havoc within her. The girl’s bubbly exterior was reduced to an unresponsive, except for the small groans when her head pounded. Maisie even lost interest in her rubik’s cube.

Claire was running her fingers through Maisie’s soft hair when her phone buzzed, signalling a text from Karen.

Karen: sounds like strep throat to me

Karen: she’ll get antibiotics, but she’ll be fine

She smiled. Being the protective and organized parent she is, Claire had texted Karen with Maisie’s visible symptoms, hoping Karen’s experience with two children could shed some light on their current situation. This was the first time Maisie had gotten sick since their escape and Claire being Claire, had almost given herself a panic attack on the drive to the clinic. 

Owen would call her paranoid, even though he would do exactly the same as she did. He fussed over the girl constantly, treating her like his own biological daughter. Maisie was his little princess. It just occurred to Claire that she was missing a companion for the better part of her life. Looking back now, she felt stupid when she scoffed at Karen’s comment about having children. It was really worth it. She hadn’t realized it until a nine year old girl nestled herself into her. 

Maisie suddenly stirred, choking as she sat up. Claire already had the bag ready in front of her. She rubbed her back soothingly, hoping the firm strokes on Maisie’s back could help her feel a little better as she vomited. Claire took the bag from the girl a few moments later, tying it up and dropping it into a nearby trash can, then led the girl into the washroom.

“Here, we’ll get you cleaned up,” Claire said softly as she ran a paper towel under the tap. She wiped the girl’s face, then instructed her to rinse her mouth. When Maisie turned around, tears were threatening to spill out of her brown eyes and her bottom lip wobbled. “I’m sorry,” she breathed and stared at her feet. Claire felt her heart crack at the girl’s apology; anger towards nothing in particular bubbled within her. How dare anything make her girl cry?

She planted her hands onto Maisie’s shoulder. “Oh Maisie…”, she started tentatively. “Maisie, look at me,” she tried again. Maisie turned her head towards Claire, two drops of tears running down either side of her cheeks and leaving twin trails on her face. Claire sighed. “Sweetheart, there is nothing you need to apologize for. People get sick and it’s perfectly normal.” She soothed, as she wiped the tears away with her thumbs and stroked the girl’s cheek. Instead, Maisie shook her head and took a deep breath. “It-it’s not that,” she stuttered, “I know you get stressed taking care of me. I’m sorry for being a burden.”

Claire felt that if she had to listen to one more word of Maisie’s self-consciousness, her heart would shatter. She pulled the girl into her chest and dropped kisses into her silky brown hair. “You’re not a burden at all. I love you, Maisie. Please don’t ever doubt that.” Claire couldn’t ignore the times when she felt completely helpless at being a new parent. It was fairly common for her to get so overwhelmed at the beginning that she would slip into the shower to cry silently, only to have Owen join her and to reassure her that they were both learning and doing the best they could at the moment. This little girl, however, was worth it all. She had been a little ball of sunshine that fuelled both Claire and Owen in dealing with the aftermath of Lockwood Manor, and Claire was determined to give Maisie anything her heart desired. Which, at the moment, was reassurance and love. 

“Are you feeling better?” Maisie nodded against Claire’s chest and wiggled out of her grip. She gave a small smile then reached to slip her fingers into Claire’s hand. “Why don’t you show me how you solve the rubik’s cube?” Claire suggested cheerfully and saw the girl’s eyes sparkle at the mention of her beloved puzzle. She had her hand on the knob of the door when Maisie piped a quiet “Claire?” Claire turned around.

“Yes, baby?”

“I love you too.”

3.

Claire had disappeared for a mysterious doctor’s appointment she only mentioned to Owen the night before. She brushed it off as her yearly physical examination and assured him nothing was wrong with her. That left him and Maisie wandering on the streets on a Saturday morning, occasionally staring into the windows of shops. Owen was on a mission today: to find the perfect engagement ring.

“Daddy, what are we doing today?” Maisie tugged onto his hand. She is starting to address them differently. It could be a slip-up, but that didn’t stop the flutter in Owen’s chest when he heard it leave her mouth. He gave a mischievous grin and bent down to whisper into her ear, “I’m going to ask your Mommy to marry me, but I need help with finding a ring.”

Little hands flew to her mouth as she let out a squeal and her expression went from shocked to euphoric. Her eyes grew wide and a broad smile broke across her face as she threw her arms around Owen’s neck. Never had Maisie thought that the first wedding she would be at was her parents’ and suddenly she was very glad that they had waited for her. Owen set his hands on her shoulders to pull her back to see her overjoyed as she let out a tiny “yay”.

They continued walking down the street and went into a jewelry store. The whole store twinkled, the diamonds and precious stones refracted every beam of light that shone on them. Owen was automatically drawn to the counter that held the diamond rings that came in all shapes and sizes, asking the salesperson to take them out of the display rack so he could feel the coolness of the transparent gem on his fingers. He imagined being with Claire, his fingers mindlessly fiddling with the ring that sat atop her ring finger. He smiled.

Maisie had ran off to another counter, so he picked up the ring and asked for her opinion. She shook her head. “Why not?” Owen asked, curious to hear what his little girl had to say.” “It’s not exquisite enough for her.” She answered bluntly, then dragged him across the store and stopped in front of another display rack. Owen resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Claire’s fancy vocabulary had definitely been integrated into Maisie’s language. Her dainty fingers pointed at one of the rings, and she turned around with wide pleading eyes and small nods of her head. Owen’s breath caught in his throat. A thin gold band, embellished with a pear cut emerald, stared back at him. The stone was small, modest enough that Claire would want to wear it every day, it was minimalistic like most jewelry Claire owned. Most importantly, the forest green shade of the emerald matched Claire’s eyes (the eyes that made Owen weak in the knees). 

“Maisie, it’s perfect!” He breathed out, hands going to Maisie’s cheeks to give them a little squish. She was giggling uncontrollably when they asked the salesperson for the ring, but switched to serious mode when Owen asked her to inspect the ring for any imperfections. She nodded her approval and he bought it without a second thought. 

He is going to propose tonight.  
—  
Owen insisted on going to the beach after the little family had dinner at Claire’s favourite restaurant. Maisie was bouncing on her feet and swinging her hands entwined with her parents. Owen was unsure if the girl was experiencing a sugar rush from her dessert or if she was bursting with anticipation of what was about to happen, but he was happy to see that she was enjoying herself so much. 

They ushered Claire onto a bench to save her dress from the sand, then stood in front of her, grinning from ear to ear. She eyed them suspiciously and inspected them for anything unusual. “What are you two up to?” She questioned, before kicking off her shoes and sinking her toes into the warm sand. “Nothing…we’re just standing here.”Owen retorted smugly while reaching into his back pocket to pull out a little box. 

“Come on, Owen, it’s getting cold out here and Maisie needs to be in bed soon.” Claire reached into her purse and pulled out her shawl, wrapping herself in it to fend off the cool sea breeze. She was so caught up in the action that she didn’t notice Owen getting down onto a knee and popping open the little black box. “Owen, I’m serious, let’s go home an-“ Her jaw dropped. 

Owen laughed. “I finally caught you speechless, huh?” He teased, but sobered up quickly. “Claire, I am not a man of flowery language or romance. I can’t offer you much luxury, even though you deserve all of it for bringing so much joy to Maisie and I.” He gestured behind him and took a deep breath before continuing. “I can give you a home, a family and my love. Will you marry me?”

The next seconds seemed to be a blur to Owen. A teary Claire launched herself into his chest and nodded her head vigorously. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” she murmured, putting her hand on his cheek and pulling him in for a long kiss. Beside them, Maisie looked up at them with the biggest smile on her face, only turning away bashfully when their lips touched. 

Owen plucked the ring from the box and slid it onto Claire’s dainty finger, before bringing her hand to his lips. The green stone sparkled and illuminated her face. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered. “Maisie chose it,” he chuckled and pulled the girl close. She threw her arms around Claire’s neck for a hug while Claire strokes her head lovingly. 

“Actually,” Owen interrupted, “I’m not done yet.” His girls broke apart to look at him as he fished out another box. He bent to Maisie’s level and handed her the box. She looked at him curiously and he prompted her to open the box. Inside was a silver chain with a single rose pendant. One of the petals proudly boasted a tiny piece of green crystal, almost identical to the emerald on Claire’s ring. “This,” he pointed at the necklace, “means that we would love to have you to be the flower girl at our wedding.”

“You mean the one who throws the petals?” She asked sweetly. They nodded. She stepped into the embrace of her parents, hugging them both at the same time. “I would love to be the flower girl.”  
—  
They decided to sit in the sand for a little while, with Owen sandwiched between his two girls. Claire couldn’t tear her eyes from her new ring while Maisie unearthed seashells near her feet. She held them tightly in her hand, until she became too tired to continue her hunt for more and fell asleep against Owen instead. He turned to Claire.

“Are you really happy with what we have right now?” He asked, worried that her previous answer was something she haven’t had time to process yet. 

He relaxed when he heard her say, “Oh God, yes!”

4.

They were back at the cabin. Owen wanted to have it completed before the first snow came so they could stay in the cabin during their winter break. 

Claire had set up a lawn chair not far from the cabin. She climbed in wearily and let the cool air brush past her hair and face as she sank further into the chair. She had been hit by a bout of nausea earlier, the baby growing inside of her not cutting her any slack on a weekend. She had found out a week ago and had blurted out the news to Owen before her brain could process it. He had been over the moon he would soon have a child toppling over on little chubby legs and fingers out trying to pull on his hair. He had pulled her into a tight embrace, hand planted on her abdomen and confessed his love for her again. 

We are in no shape to raise another child, she had told him, as the worry that was gnawing at her excitement for the addition to the little family took over. He had shushed her and reassured her that he would be there to help her at every step of the way. He would be there to rub her back when it ached and to hold her hand when the contractions came. 

There was rustling behind her and Maisie appeared in front of her, holding a bag of marshmallows they bought from the gas station. She already had two shoved into her mouth, making her cheeks bulge out like a fluffy bunny’s. 

“Mommy, can I join you?” Claire smiled when she heard Maisie say “Mommy” and her heart swelled with adoration for her girl. Maisie had switched completely to titles for her parents a couple weeks ago, proof that she was getting more and more comfortable with the pair. Claire nodded and beckoned the girl to her side, Maisie clambering into the chair, curled herself against Claire’s side and rested her head on Claire’s shoulder. Claire hugged the girl closer to herself, the ring on her hand catching the moonlight and sending green sparkles into the night sky. 

“I’ve never seen so many stars before.” Maisie whispered, her eyes trained on the white specks that adorned the night sky. The view was breathtaking, Claire had to admit, something that she wouldn’t have been able to seen from her apartment. The twinkling stars reminded her of her father, who would sit a young Claire in his lap as he pointed at each constellation and told her stories behind each one whenever they went camping. Her father who would throw her into the air and yelled at her to reach the stars. Her father who had unwavering confidence in his little girl and supported her in everything she did. A pang of sadness washed over her and suddenly she missed her father a lot, enough that it made tears escape her eyes and scud down her cheeks. Damn hormones, she mused.

Maisie heard sniffling and turned around to see Claire silently crying. “Are you alright?” Maisie asked worriedly as she wiggled in the chair and wiped the tears away with her small thumbs, mirroring an action that Claire always did when Maisie woke up distraught from a nightmare. Claire smiled at the girl and nodded while smoothing back her silky brown hair. Her nine-year-old’s compassionate heart never ceased to amaze her, always trying to help regardless of the situation. 

“I just thought of my Dad. When I was younger, we used to sit on the grass and he would show me the constellations in the sky.” Claire explained and pulled Maisie back into her chest. “And he is with Grandpa now?” Maisie inquired. Claire hummed and ran her hand along Maisie’s side, knowing that her late grandfather was still a sensitive topic. 

“Here, let me show you some of them.” She grasped Maisie’s small hand and pointed at the sky. “That is Cygnus, the swan. That end is the beak and those are the wings.” Maisie listened intently as Claire continued. “That is Orion the hunter. Do you see his bow?” Again, she nodded, her large eyes focused. Claire looked for her favourite constellation, smiling when she found it. “That is the Big Bear, and that,” she moved their hands a little, “is her little bear.”

Maisie let out a small laugh and nestled back into Claire. They were silent for a few minutes, enjoying the stars and the cool breeze. It was Maisie who broke the silence first.

“Mommy, why does Aunt Karen call you Claire-bear?” Maisie asked and stuffed a marshmallow into her mouth before offering the bag to Claire, who took one. “Every kid had a teddy bear that matched their hair colour, but they weren’t any red bears anywhere, so my Dad made me one. I guess Karen saw me with Mr Snuffles all the time and decided that would be my new nickname.” Maisie nodded and snuggled deeper into Claire. 

As a kid with red hair, Claire was constantly teased. It got to the point where she disliked leaving the comforts of her home. Jay Dearing didn’t want his daughter to hide anymore, so he had his heart set on promising his little girl that someone else would red hair would accompany her. He had spent hours hunched over his desk, painstakingly patching up pieces of red fabric to bring a teddy bear to life. A wide grin appeared on the face of young Claire when he presented the stuffed animal to her. She hugged it to her chest and it never left her. Mr Snuffles went everywhere Claire went. He followed her to college, then to Isla Nublar, then to sit on a shelf in her apartment. 

“Can I be your little bear?” Maisie mumbled against Claire’s hair and looked up expectantly. “Of course you can, sweetheart,” Claire answered as she rubbed the girl’s cheek and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She mentally reminded herself to look for a chocolate brown teddy bear once they got back into town. 

Looking satisfied with the answer, Maisie closed her eyes and let Claire’s soothing touch lull her into sleep, her breathing evening out to match the rhythmic gusts of wind. 

Claire smiled when she felt a hand in her hair and a kiss planted on her forehead. “Hello, momma-bear,” Owen’s gruff voice teased, a lopsided grin plastered on his face. She offered a bashful smile. However intimate and close they were, Owen’s presence had the ability to always make her breath hitch, butterflies flutter in her stomach and her cheeks flush a rosy colour. “She asleep?” He gestured towards the sleeping form of their girl. Claire nodded. 

“Want me to put her in bed?”

“Not yet,” Claire murmured, moving a hand to Maisie’s shoulder. “I want to stay out here for a little while.” Owen pulled a blanket to their shoulders then retreated back to the trailer. 

Claire tilted her head and saw the bears in the sky again. They looked just like how she remember them almost 20 years ago, but had stayed hidden behind her reports and spreadsheets for the period of time she was at Jurassic World. Now she has two children to share the stars with. Her hand slipped into the pocket of Owen’s hoodie she was wearing, lightly stroking her barely visible baby bump, while the other rubbed Maisie’s shoulder tenderly. They have found their place under the stars.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! :D


End file.
